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“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse…”  The most famous of the promises that the LORD made to Abram regard land and nationhood.  Though Abram would not live to see it, his descendants would indeed become a great nation “in the land that I will show you.”  This promise sustained Isaac and Jacob and their grandchildren, and propelled Moses and Joshua across the wilderness.

But the LORD also promises blessing and curse according to how others treat Abram and his family.  Yesterday we witnessed God’s long memory regarding Amalek, who opposed Israel in the desert.  Today the results are more immediate, as a Philistine champion dares to defy the LORD, Israel’s army, and a man after God’s own heart.

The story of David and Goliath in chapter 17 is one of the most well-known in the Old Testament, and so it might be difficult to read it anew.  It’s important, however, to put aside popular impressions and pay attention to what point the author is trying to make. 

Our first guides are contextual.  Remember the fascination with height and appearance throughout 1 Samuel; the Goliath narrative is a final rejoinder to Israel’s attraction to kings like those “of other nations.”  Consider also that Israel’s wars were religious in nature: a question of whether the LORD was indeed greater than other gods. 

Next, listen to how the rich dialogue reveals character.  David’s youthful exuberance before Saul is coupled with experiential logic: as a shepherd, “when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb… I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth.”  Goliath’s speech calls Israel “servants of Saul,” but David comes against him “in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the Armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 

Now I have to address an issue of chronology here, because it seems throughout this story that Saul has no idea who David is, which seems impossible following yesterday’s reading.  A few possibilities exist, which all assume that the author or compiler of 1 Samuel knew what he was doing.  It could be that some time has passed since the events in chapters 16, that David had gone back home to tend sheep in the meantime, and his appearance had changed as he aged; however, David could easily have said, “Remember me?” and cleared the whole thing up.  It could also be that the LORD’s Spirit has so departed Saul that his lack of awareness is evidence of deeper madness – and future stories will point to this. 

However these issues are resolved, one of the author’s key purposes is to show how David’s approach to the kingship will differ from Saul’s.  David refuses to take the king’s armor, choosing the clothing, and weapons, of a shepherd.  And whereas Saul seemed ill acquainted with the LORD’s character or promises,  David takes the fight to Goliath on the grounds that Goliath’s slight of the LORD and His people is unacceptable.  

Our verse for this week is Isaiah 40:28:  Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.

1 Samuel 17 and 18.  Now let’s read it!

The end of Saul’s hold on the kingdom is highlighted today in three stories.  In the first, Saul again proves his unworthiness to lead Israel, and in the second the LORD sends Samuel to find a new king.  In the third, the ascending and descending rulers collide as the LORD abandons Saul for good.   

In chapter 15, Saul is given a chance to avenge Israel against Amalek for their opposition to Israel in the wilderness.  His instructions are clear: “…Devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them…”  The text is also clear about Saul’s response: But Saul and the people spared Agag [the king] and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves…  However, when confronted, Saul echoes Adam’s defense: “…the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen for sacrifice…” and makes no mention of his own complicity. 

The LORD’s words at the beginning chapter 16 will inaugurate a new era: “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”  You’ve heard the name of Jesse before – he’s of the line of Ruth and Boaz – and one of his sons will preoccupy the Biblical imagination through the very end. 

There are a few observations about the LORD to take note of in today’s passage.  The first is when he tells Samuel “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.”  This language is reminiscent of the LORD’s “regret” that He had made man on earth, and it grieved Him to His heart in Genesis 6.  The word “regret” appears three more times in this chapter – twice by Samuel and once by the author.  Listen carefully to Samuel’s words, and consider the types of regret that the LORD can and cannot feel. 

A second observation about the LORD regards his departure from Saul at the end of chapter 16.  Not only did the Spirit of the LORD depart from Saul, but furthermore a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him.  Add this to the catalogue of all you know about the LORD, especially remembering when He actively hardened the heart of Pharaoh. 

Finally, keep an ear open for the LORD’s answer to all this talk about tall handsome kings.  “For the LORD sees not as man sees…

Our verse for this week is Isaiah 40:28:
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

1 Samuel 15 and 16.  Now let’s read it!

Let’s begin by travelling back to Numbers chapter 20.  Moses had been leading Israel for decades, suffering their insults and rebellions, and, more significantly, standing before the LORD on behalf of the LORD’s people – and sometimes between them.  Yet a momentary lapse, a failure “to believe in [the LORD], to uphold [Him] as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel,” causes Moses lose the Promised Land. 

I remind you of this because chapter 13 tells a peculiar episode that will begin the unraveling of Saul’s kingdom.  It might not immediately be clear what Saul’s big failure is, but an important peculiarity about the Israelite nation is affirmed: the LORD’s king may have command over the people, but the prophet and the priest operate independently of him, as do their agencies. 

Contrary to the cultures around them, Israel’s kingship was political only; he was not a religious leader, except to know and enforce the LORD’s law.  Keep that in your back pocket in the future – really, throughout the remainder of the Old Testament.  

In chapter 14 we’re introduced to Jonathan, Saul’s son, who leads an assault against the Philistines.  A phrase keeps recurring in the dialogue of this chapter: “Do what seems good to you…”  It’s aimed at either Jonathan or Saul, and may serve a purpose.  

Saul’s descent continues in this chapter, as he proclaims a rash curse – presumably meant to rally his troops – that almost costs Jonathan his life.  However, it’s an almost, as in almost as bad as the Jephthah story, because Saul’s army stands in the way of Saul fulfilling the vow.  But the good outcome for Jonathan (and, presumably, Israel), further degrades Saul.  The king could proclaim a curse, but had no power to enforce it.  Not only is Saul weak in the LORD; he’s also weak before his men: ineffective both in the spiritual and the secular sense. 

Finally, don’t check out before the very end of chapter 14, and consider whether a prophecy is beginning to be fulfilled. 

Our verse for this week is Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

1 Samuel 13 and 14.  Now let’s read it!